1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to curling stone handles and more particularly to a one piece handle having a plate-like structure conforming with the contour of the curling stone, a ribbed plastic washer oriented only in the cup-shaped recess in the curling stone and a fastening bolt having a polygonal structure for receiving a wrench to enable assembly and disassembly of the handle and curling stone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Curling stones have been in existence for many years and one of the problems encountered has been the provision of a handle on the curling stone for enabling it to be securely locked to the stone but yet easily assembled and disassembled. Most, if not all curling stones are quarried and finished in Britain and are of a particular type of granite and weigh approximately 40 pounds. Each stone is generally circular, from 5 to 51/2 inches high and of a diameter of 101/2 to 11 inches and includes a shallow cup or recess of approximately 5 inches in diameter on the top and bottom so that the stone may be turned over without regrinding the surface contact area. When the stone is turned over so that both surfaces may be used as the ice contact area before regrinding, the handle must be reversed in relation to the stone. Conventionally, curling stone handles have had a relatively small diameter metal plate to which a horizontal handle is rigidly affixed. An anchor bolt extends through a central hole in the curling stone and a leather washer is positioned between the plate and upper surface of the stone. The anchor bolt is provided with a pyramidal lower end which engages a recess in the stone around the central through hole to prevent the bolt from turning thereby enabling the handle to be tightened onto the stone by rotation of the handle. Due to the normal forces encountered, handles frequently become loosened and in order to tighten the conventional gooseneck handle, a rubber mallet is sometimes used to strike the handle or in other instances a slotted wood member is used to fit over the handle for rotation of the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,498, issued Apr. 21, 1970 discloses a plastic handle attached to a curling stone by a through bolt provided with a conical lower end and the base plate of the handle is provided with a depending peripheral flange resiliently engageable with the upper surface of the curling stone with the depending flange defining a plenum between the underside of the plate and the upper surface of the stone. In use, this plenum has been found to produce an echo sound when the stones contact each other and in the event the stone has a shallow cup, the central depression will engage the shallow cup prior to the flange frictionally engaging the top surface of the stone. The handle disclosed in this patent has not solved the problem of securely fastening a curling stone handle to the curling stone in a manner which enables the handle to be quickly and easily disassembled and reassembled in relation to the stone. Keeping this handle tight is very difficult as it depends entirely on the peripheral plastic flange frictionally engaging polished granite, which it does poorly. Excessive force used in tightening leads to plastic fracture.